Wake Forest PA Program: Grace's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Grace applied to 16 programs, received 8 interview offers, attended 4, and ended up with 1 waitlist and 2 acceptances — choosing Wake Forest. She had a 3.86 GPA, 2,000 hours of healthcare experience, and 44 shadowing hours across an unusually wide range of professions before she settled on PA. Her most memorable takeaway from interview days wasn't the questions; it was how impressive and how friendly her fellow candidates turned out to be.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

When I was starting looking into careers in the health care field, I shadowed MD's, NP's, nurses, EMT's, PT's, OT's, SLP's and of course PA's. What stuck with me about the PA career was the the lateral mobility aspect and the ability for PAs to adapt to the ever changing healthcare environment. My primary care provider was also a PA and that spurred my interest in becoming a PA.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Grace did something in her exploration phase that pays off later in ways applicants rarely anticipate. She shadowed physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, EMTs, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and PAs before choosing. That's why her "why PA" answer holds up under questioning — she can articulate what PAs do that the alternatives don't, because she watched the alternatives. When a committee asks why PA and not NP or MD, the applicants who struggle are the ones who only ever looked at one path. Her 8 interview offers from 16 applications suggest that clarity came through on paper as well.

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes?

I had 8 interview offers, ended up going to 4 interviews, 1 waitlist and 2 acceptances.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Grace's single most useful resource was free: a friend who had gotten into PA school a couple of years ahead of her and was willing to answer endless questions. Before you pay for anything, find someone one or two steps ahead of you. Current students are usually generous with their time and their information is current.

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Where will you be attending?

Wake Forest University

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

Two things surprised me when interviewing:

1) How fast the interview day goes despite being a half or all day endeavor.

2) How amazingly qualified, interesting and kind all the other candidates were. The undergrad pre-health environment and the application process tends to be and feel very competitive but at the interviews everyone was just so stoked (and nervous!). I was in awe as others shared stories and backgrounds. I met people who ran rural EMT outposts, spoke 4 languages, started volunteer organizations, problem solved broken gene sequencers, found a interest in medicine after being on ski patrol for years etc.. There were so many amazing people out there who were way cooler, interesting and qualified than me. So when you go to interviews you are gonna meet some neat folks, embrace it and take time to listen. 🙂

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process?

"Physician Assistant School Interview Guide" by Savanna Perry , PA forum (website) and AAPA (website). But the best resource was talking to a friend who had gotten into a PA school a few years ahead of me who gave me all kinds of advice and answered my millions of questions. Also my friends mom worked on the admissions committee for a DPT school and just having her input on admissions committees in general was super helpful.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Its a process. Its just the way it is, so take it one step at a time.

Where can we find you?

gracie_nm (instagram, although I'll warn you, its just a ton of videos of whitewater kayaking and mtn biking.). Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions etc.

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Health and Wellness Promotion B.S.
Overall GPA: 3.86
Science GPA: 3.81
GRE: 308
Total HCE hours: 2,000
Shadowing hours: 44
Other volunteer hours: 100
LORs: 3 (science professor/advisor, current employer MD, other MD)
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Wake Forest PA program?

Grace was accepted with a 3.86 overall GPA and a 3.81 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm Wake Forest's current minimum GPA requirements.

Does the Wake Forest PA program require the GRE?

Grace submitted a GRE score of 308. [VERIFY] Confirm whether Wake Forest currently requires the GRE, as many programs have dropped the requirement.

How many healthcare experience hours do you need for the Wake Forest PA program?

Grace reported 2,000 hours of healthcare experience, 44 shadowing hours, and 100 other volunteer hours. [VERIFY] Confirm Wake Forest's current HCE and PCE requirements, and note that programs distinguish between the two.

How should you answer "why PA and not MD or NP"?

With specifics drawn from your own observation. Grace shadowed physicians, NPs, nurses, EMTs, PTs, OTs, SLPs, and PAs, and landed on lateral mobility between specialties and the profession's adaptability as what set PA apart for her. An answer grounded in what you personally saw is far stronger than a general one.

What is a PA school interview day actually like?

Grace describes half-day and full-day formats that went by much faster than she expected, and a group of fellow candidates who were welcoming rather than cutthroat. Expect a mix of interviews, program presentations, tours, and unstructured time with other applicants and current students.

How can I be featured in an Accepted! post?

Email [email protected] or use the contact form at The PA Platform to share your acceptance story.

CLOSING

Grace's advice is four words long — it's a process — and coming from someone with 8 interview offers, that's oddly reassuring. Her cycle worked because she did the exploratory work early enough to know exactly why she wanted this specific profession, kept her grades strong, and found a friend a few years ahead who could demystify the rest. Take her note about interview day seriously too: the other candidates aren't your opponents, and treating them that way costs you one of the better parts of the experience.

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Wake Forest PA Program: Grace's Acceptance Story